Both Sides of the Mask
by goldie15
Summary: Raoul's cousin moves into the dormitory of the Opera house, one year after the famous disaster, to study ballet. During this, she comes face to face with the man who almost took her cousins life, but developes a relationship she wasn't prepared for...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It had been one year since the disaster at the Opera Populair. News of its reconstruction had been announced one short month after the events occurred. My name is Amelia De Chagney; my cousin is Raoul De Chagney, the opera's vicompt.  
Growing up Raoul was my best friend, my only friend, like my brother. When I had heard what happened to him, my heart truly stopped. I was so afraid that he had been killed, that he had been slaughtered by…. The opera ghost.  
That must sound so foolish, a ghost, but it's true. Raoul told me all about him. But if there was one person who was even more affected by it then Raoul, it was his wife Christine.  
I met Christine the day he got back from Paris. His carriage pulled up and I ran out the front door and into his arms. The bright smile that spread across his face when he saw me was the greatest thing I'd seen since he left. He hugged me tight and laughed that same warm laugh he always had.

"Amelia! Oh my, you're more beautiful every time I see you." He smiled at me. I smiled back and hugged him.

"I missed you so much!" I said. "I was miserable without you!"

Christine slowly stepped from the carriage. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her long brown hair fell down her shoulders in long waves and curls. She wore a yellow and white dress. I let go of Raoul and looked at her. He walked over to her and took her by the hand and led her over to me.

"Amelia, this is my wife Christine Daae." He said smiling. I smiled lightly, not feeling entirely comfortable with the entire situation. He looked at Christine.

"Christine, this is my little cousin Amelia." I rolled my eyes.

"I am not your little cousin. I'm nineteen years old, not ten."

"Oh, but you'll always be my little cousin." He said, laughing. He kissed me on the forehead and then led Christine into the house.

"Miss Daae," I said, as they walked away from me. She turned to face me. "Welcome." She opened her mouth slightly, as if to say something, but she didn't. She slowly turned back to Raoul and kept walking.  
It wasn't so much that she was unfriendly, but more that she was so uncomfortable every time she was around me. You could tell she was trying to be polite, but at the same time she didn't want to be here in the first place. I could tell she cared for Raoul, that she loved him, but there always seem to be hesitancy whenever she showed him any affection at all. I felt that it must have been a case of getting used to the De Chagney estate; after all, she did come from a less than fortunate family. But in the end she just seemed completely insecure with all of her surroundings.  
I followed the two of them into the house and joined them for tea. My mother, father, uncle, and Raoul's brother James joined us too. James was older than Raoul by eight years and already married. He warmly welcomed Christine as he always did with new company. We all sat in the tea room as the maids served us.

"So Amelia, how is your dancing coming?"

"Fine." I answered.

I had been dancing ballet since I was five and had always dreamed of going to study at the opera populair. But ever since the rumors of the opera ghost my thoughts had changed a bit. I still wanted to go, but just the thought of that monstrous man frightened me.

"You know, Christine danced at the opera house for years, she was a chorus girl." Christine blushed a little bit and smiled lightly.

"Really?" I asked, trying my best to get her into the conversation. She nodded and cleared her throat.

"I was for quite a while. Madame Giry trained me."

"Wow…" I said. Madame Giry I had heard was an amazing ballerina, or at least she had been when she was a young girl.  
Raoul smiled at me. He looked to Christine and she smiled back.

"Should we tell her?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Yes."

"Tell me what?" I asked curiously.

"Tomorrow, you are going to be leaving this house for one year to stay in the dormitories at the Opera Populair with Madame Giry and her daughter meg." The moment Raoul spoke those words my heart stopped.

"W- What?"

He smiled and nodded, seeming extremely pleased with himself. My mother and father gasped.

"Oh Raoul…" my mother said in disbelief. I jumped from the couch and threw my arms around him.

"Oh Raoul! Thank you so much!" I said. He laughed and hugged me back. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My dreams were all coming true within a matter of seconds and Raoul hadn't even been home ten minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Christine shared my room with me that night. I sat in front of my mirror brushing my hair and she wrote in her diary. At the age of twenty one it seemed a bit childish to have a diary but she hadn't spoken to me since that afternoon.

"What are you writing?" I asked. She turned around to me and smiled.

"Oh, nothing important."

"Is it a diary?"

"No, not at all… well, kind of maybe, yes… to tell you the truth I'm not really sure myself."

"I never had a diary." I said. She smiled and turned back to her diary to continue to write.

"When did you and Raoul meet?" I asked, determined to keep her talking.

"We met when we were very young. Whenever he'd come to Sweden with his parents he would always come and play with me."

"Are you the one he called Little Lotte?" she smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yes." I smiled back and then turned around to continue to brush my hair. I pulled it up with a ribbon and then got up. I went over to my bed and slid betwe"I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow." Christine sighed.

"Yes."

"But it does make me nervous thinking about the whole Opera Ghost story." I had immediately regretted saying that afterward. Why couldn't I ever keep my big mouth shut? She stopped writing and slowly sat her pencil down.

"Oh Christine, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…."

"No, it's okay. Don't give it another thought." I swallowed hard and then turned away onto my side.

The next morning I awoke as early as possible. I kissed my mother and father good bye and gave Raoul another strong hug.

"I'll come to see you as soon as I can, I swear on it." he said. I smiled and kissed his cheek as a boarded the carriage. It then began to move away and took me all of the way to the train station. The train ride was long and tiring. I slept most of the way until they announced that we would be stopping soon. As soon as I stepped off of the train I heard a voice call out my name.

"Amelia?" I turned to see a girl standing over by the station. She was tall, blonde and very beautiful. She was wearing a light blue dress. I walked over to her and smiled.

"You must be Meg." I said. She smiled and nodded.

"I could tell it was you the moment you stepped off of the train, you look just like Raoul, and I dare say you could be his sister rather than his cousin. I smiled. People had been telling Raoul and me that since we were young children.

"Yes, it's a curse. People have always told us that we looked alike."

"Oh. It's uncanny." She said. Then she held out her hands and took my bags. She handed them to a man next to us and he led us out to the carriage. We rode the carriage all of the way to the opera house. It was the most beautiful building I had ever seen, absolutely gorgeous. You could tell there were still some areas under repair but it didn't even come close to taking away from its beauty. As we walked through the doors of the opera house I immediately felt at home, as if I belonged there.

"Follow me." Meg said, as we made our way to the stage doors. The auditorium was absolutely amazing. The stage was the biggest I had ever seen and the ceiling was painted to look like the sky with clouds and angels. The seats we're all red with gold trim and gold statues decorated throughout the entire room. On stage, there was a large group ballerinas practicing. There was an older woman there instructing them. She was wearing a long black dress and her hair was put up in a long braid.

"Mother!" Meg called to her. She turned around and smiled at her.

"Keep stretching girls." She said, and then walked down the steps from the stage towards me and Meg.

"This is Amelia mother, Raoul's cousin."

"My goodness, I wasn't expecting you this early. It's very nice to meet you Amelia." I nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Madame."

"You look just like your cousin, the resemblance is remarkable."

"I said the same thing mother, it's really amazing."

"Well Megan, why don't you take Amelia up to you're room, she'll share your dormitory."

"Yes mother." Megan said. She motioned for me to follow her and we left the auditorium. Meg led me up the large spiral staircase to a long hallway. She unlocked one of the doors on the right wall and led me in.  
"This is my room, you'll be staying here."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to go downstairs, we have dress rehearsal for tomorrows show in half an hour so I need to go and get ready. You can stay here and get settled in."

"Okay."

"I'll see you later tonight then." She waved at me and then walked out the door, closing it behind her. I sat on my bed and took in a deep breath. I was finally at the Opera Populair, yet it hadn't fully sunk in yet. It was even better then I had ever dreamed it would be and I hadn't even experienced anything yet. I started undoing the front of my dress and pulled it off. I undid my corset and dropped it to the floor then stood in front of the mirror. I stared at my legs, a number of large bruises on them from the week before when my horse Penelope had bucked me off. It wasn't her fault entirely; I shouldn't have kicked her as hard as I had.  
The room suddenly felt very cold, so I walked over to my suitcase and pulled out a long black skirt and the black top that went with it. It felt so much better without the corset on, the wretched thing did nothing but cut off my air supply.  
I left the room and went back downstairs to the auditorium where they were starting the dress rehearsal for the upcoming show. I went backstage to watch so that I wouldn't be seen or distracting. Everything was so gracefully done and perfect, that might as well have been opening night. Meg was an amazing dancer, absolutely flawless in every one of her movements. Suddenly, I heard I movement behind me and turned around to see a man standing close behind me. He was young, but older then me, maybe around twenty five. He looked dirty and had long brown hair with a hat pulled over it. He looked like he needed a shave. He gave me a cocky smile.

"Well hello, hello, hello… I don't think I've ever seen you here before. You must be the new one, the vicompt's cousin, right?"

"Y-Yes…" I said, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He took another step closer to me and there was no longer any space between us.

"Terrific to meet you miss, you must be no nervous though, new city and all."  
"No, I'm fine, thank you very much."

"You sure about that miss?"

"Yes." I said sharply.

"Well, if you need anything just let me know, okay love?" he said. "Anything…"

I felt his hand go down my back over my bottom and lower. I froze up immediately, not able to push him away. Then suddenly, I saw a hand strike his face from the side. Madame Giry took me by the arm and pulled me away. We walked back down the steps.

"Child, never go backstage alone."

"I-I'm sorry, I…"

"Don't apologize Amelia; just don't let it happen again. The men who work here think with the hormones that run them, it's amazing we ever get any work done here." She smiled at me and then turned back to assist with the ballet.  
I took in a deep breath. One hour here and I'd already managed to get sexually harassed, and it was my fault, I couldn't blame anyone else. I was so humiliated.  
I left the auditorium in a hurry, still embarrassed, not knowing who saw it happen. I decided to explore a little. I had nothing else to do; my lessons weren't to start until the following week. I searched through out the dressing rooms, which were mostly very small. I went out into the main lobby to find two older men standing on the steps in deep conversation.

"When is the Vicompt's cousin coming to stay here?"

"She was picked up this morning by Meg Giry. She's supposed to be here already."

I walked don the steps to them and they looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Bon jour monsieur." I said and curtsied to them.

"Ah, you must be Amelia."

"Yes."

"Well, my dear, it's a pleasure to have you here with us. Raoul has said you are quite the talent."

I smiled at that. Raoul was always flattering me, even when I wasn't around to here it.

"I don't know about that, Raoul's sweeter then he is judgmental."

The two of them laughed, as if they knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Have you settled into your dormitory yet?"

"Yes, I have, thank you."

"Good, we're lucky you know, that's was one of the only areas that didn't catch fire in the disaster last year."

"Really?"

"Andre, let's not discuss this. I'm sorry my dear, he seems to forget that the last thing we want to discuss is the phantom."

"The phantom?"

"Or the opera ghost, what ever one is used to."

"What ever happened to him?"

"Oh, he was never found, most suspect that he died in the fire. This is why no one will go below to where his lair once was."

"Why?"

"There's another one of those silly rumors going around that it's haunted. People just can't seem to let go of the fairy tale."

"But it wasn't a fairy tale, he really did exist."

"Sadly, yes. But he's gone now and that's the important thing."

"Well Madame, we really must be going now."

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you both." I said with a smile. They lifted their hats to me and then walked down the stairs and out of the door.  
I sighed and then went back into the auditorium, curious to see if the dress rehearsal was finished yet. They were still rehearsing the gala portion of it. Carlotta Giudicelli was front and center on the stage singing 'Il Muto.' Not her part, but the introduction as a warm up. She had an enormously strong voice and was very talented, but over sang her notes and pretty much everything else.

"They say that this youth has set my ladies heart aflame,  
His lordship sure will die of shock,  
His lordship is a laughing stock,  
If he suspect her, god protect her,  
Shame, shame, shame!  
This faithless lady's bound for Hades…  
Shame, shame, shame!"

Il Muto was always my favorite opera. The music was lively and the plot was fun and comedic. Last year when they attempted to perform this show was said to be what led up to the tragedy. Carlotta lost her voice in the middle of it and was replaced by Christine, and a man named Joseph Bouquet was hung from above the stage in the middle of the ballet performance.  
Thinking about that, I put a hand on my throat out of instinct. Apparently, his death wasn't much of a loss but it still was enough of an excuse to call the police to the next opera performance.  
As I watched Carlotta and the rest of the cast leave the stage I heard a noise from above. I looked up above towards the ceiling and saw a dark figure standing in box five. They were staring down at me but I wasn't able to make out who they were, whether it was a man or a woman, but whoever it was, he was tall and had extremely broad shoulders, far to large to be a woman. I squinted my eyes, trying to see better but the turned around quickly and walked out the back.  
As I watched the box I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Meg standing behind me.

"What are you looking at?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not sure," I said. "Did you see anyone up there?"

"Up where?"

"In box five."

A look of worry came over Meg's face and she looked up at the box. She swallowed hard.

"I'm sure it was just one of the workers doing some repairs. That box did catch fire last year during the chandelier crash."

I stared at her suspiciously. She looked as if she knew something she wasn't telling me, like she was hiding something. I sighed and ignored it.

"Are you coming to supper with me and mother?"

"Yes, thank you."

We walked out of the auditorium and down the stairs to the banquet hall. There was a large table with many people seated around it. There were many food scattered through out it. Meg and I took our seats next to Madame Giry. Monsieur Firmin stood up with his Champaign glass and tapped the side of it with a fork.

"Attention all," he said. "Please may I have your attention?"

Everyone immediately stopped their conversations and turned their attention to Firmin.

"Thank you. I would just like to congratulate all of you on our great triumph of the reconstruction of the Opera house."

Everyone started clapping in agreement; Meg looked at me with a large smile.

"I would also like to make a toast to our wonderful cast that stayed with us even after last year's disaster and wish you all the best of luck in tomorrow nights performance."

Everyone raised their glasses and made a toast. I took a sip of the Champaign and crinkled my nose. It was a drink that represented elegance, poise and respect but it had a fowl and unwelcoming taste. I swallowed what I had sampled and immediately sat the glass back down. I felt Meg nudge me with her elbow.

"If you keep you're tongue further down against your teeth it makes it harder to taste It." she whispered with a smile. I smiled back and laughed. I took another drink with Meg's instructions and found that she was right. The drink's vile taste became much more tolerable with the tip of my tongue hidden against the back of my teeth.  
After I finished my dinner I excused my self from the meal. I went back to the auditorium and onto the stage. The view from the stage was incredible but intimidating. Just knowing that I was to be performing on it within one week was overwhelming. I found that I couldn't help myself and slowly started to dance. I slowly spun around with my arms out to the side. Step by step I guided myself across the stage and then back again. I began to spin slowly and then fast. Faster and faster I went until I felt like I would float into the air.  
I stopped when I heard footsteps behind me. I looked behind me towards the backstage. There was no one there.

"H-Hello?" I said. I slowly and hesitantly walked closer to the backstage area. I walked behind the curtain and felt someone grab my arm. They pulled me aside and pinned me to the wall. I realized that it was the same man from earlier that day.

"Nice to see you again love." He said. I struggled to free myself from his grasp and was unsuccessful.

"Let me go!" I yelled. He slapped me across the face and I fell to the floor. He crawled on top of me and wrapped one hand around my throat. I clawed at his hand trying to release it but he just tightened his grip. I felt his hand run up my leg under my skirt when I realized that I couldn't breathe at all. Darkness began to close in around me when I suddenly saw him fly off of me and crash against the wall. I reached for my neck and then gasped for breath. I heard him yell and then gag. As I heard his legs kicking against the wall, the darkness became all I could see and I fainted.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I awoke hours later in a room I had never seen before. It looked more like a cave. I looked down and noticed that I was in a new change of clothes, a white shirt and brown trousers. The bed I was lying on was beautiful, with a red velvet comforter. It was black and metal and looked like a bird with its wings rapped around the mattress. I started to panic and got up slowly. I walked out of the door and out into the open lair. My jaw dropped when I saw a lake down below me. I glanced to the right to see the biggest pipe organ I had ever seen. It was beautiful, black and gold with sheets of music scattered across it. I walked past it to see a long table with various sculptures, sketches and other things. As I walked along it I found a glass heart sitting on a metal tray. On top of the heart was a beautiful diamond ring. There was a white sapphire in the middle surrounded by diamonds. I picked it up and held it in my hand, instantly recognizing it. This was my aunt's ring, Raoul's mother's ring. His father had given it to him after his mother died and told him to give it to the woman he loved.  
I tightened my grip around it and swallowed hard. I looked around once more to the point where it finally sunk in.

"This isn't happening." I said. That's when I saw the gate to the lake rising. I ducked down behind the table, forgetting I still had the ring in my hand. I heard something being pulled onto the shore of the lake, then footsteps leading up to the table. A black cloak was hung on the hook on the wall but I couldn't tell who did it. That's when I crawled around the corner of the table, trying to escape, but instead go a view of my keeper's legs. I looked up slowly to see a tall man. He was in a black suit, his long hair slicked back to the back of his collar, and a white mask covered the side of his face. He kneeled down to me, looked me in the eyes, and held out his hand.

"I don't appreciate thieves." He said.

That was when I remember I hadn't put the ring back. I looked down at my hand, still closed into a fist, and released my grip on the ring. I dropped it into his hand and he put it back in its place. He walked back over to the organ and sat at the bench. I stood up and froze in my place. This was real, it was all real, and this was the man that tried to kill Raoul. He glanced over at me.

"Are you planning on sitting there for the rest of the night?"

"N-N-No…" I said. I was shaking and breathing shallowly.

He turned around with his back to me.

"You've been through quite an ordeal, you should get more rest."

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"My dear, I believe you're asking questions you already know the answer to."

"Why don't you just let me go back?"

"And jeopardize my hide away? I am not as foolish as people make me out to be."

"Please?" I pleaded with him, almost in tears. He didn't reply. I looked back at the gate and noticed that it was still open. I slowly walked down to the shore of the lake and then, without hesitation, ran into the water and towards the gate. Just when I thought I was going to be free, the gate dropped down just as I was going to make my escape. I gripped the gate and shook it. I spun around to find him standing on the other end of the lair next to a lever, I was trapped. He took off his jacket and vest and left his white shirt. He walked into the water and came towards me. He grabbed me around the waist and threw me over his shoulder. I pounded at his back and screamed but it didn't even faze him.

"Put me down! Put me down now! Damn you!"

He didn't pay any attention to my pleas, but instead grabbed a rope from the table and sat me down against the wall. He tied my hands together and then my ankles. I had tears running down my face like crazy and my cheeks were bright red.

"Why won't you just let me go?" I asked him desperately. "I swear to god I won't tell anyone about you."

"God?" he chuckled. "God you say? You expect me to put my trust in god? Do I look like someone he has blessed?"

I turned away from him and closed my eyes. I started to cry, silently but noticeably. He sighed in frustration.

"Child, unless your tears can free you from the binds of those ropes then I see no reason for you to being crying."

"I'm no more of a child then you are." I said coldly. "I'm nineteen years old, I'm an adult."

"Then why do you fear me?"

"Because..."

"Because what? Because I am a monster? Poor child, only children are afraid of monsters."

I stopped my crying and looked at him. That was when I realized that he was right, I was acting childish. I was doing nothing to help my case at all. Crying on the cold stone floor wasn't going to free myself from his lair.  
After a few hours, I began saw away at the robes with a stone that was projecting from the wall I sat against. The ropes rubbed against my wrists as I did this, turned them red and broke the skin. I continued to saw away at them, being as quiet as I could so he wouldn't hear me as he worked on his score. My hand slipped and cut across the stone. I cried out in pain as I looked down at the gash which came up my forearm. Fresh blood trickled down my arm and onto the floor. My hands were still tied together as I sat against the wall, crying, bleeding, my eyes clenched closed.  
When I opened them, he was kneeled down beside me with a knife in one hand. I cried out and backed away from him. He grabbed hold of my ankle to stop me and came down with the knife to my wrist. He cut the ropes off my wrists cut the ropes off my ankles and helped me to my feet. I followed him over to sit on his organ bench. He left for a moment and came back from another room carrying a small brass bottler and a piece of cloth in his hands. He kneeled down beside the bench and reached for my arm. I flinched a bit, and he stopped.

"Just let me see your arm." He said and held out his hand.

I hesitantly did as he instructed and placed my arm in his hand. He took the bottle and poured its contents onto my cut. I cried out in alarm as an intense burning ran up and down my skin, a stinging feeling buzzing up the entire length of my arm. He leaned into my arm and gently blew onto the cut. The pain went away and I took a breath. He stopped blowing and took the strip of cloth in his hands. He wrapped it around my arm multiple times and then tied it off. He gently took my arm in his hands and sat it back onto my lap and stood up. I stared up at him in awe. Never would I have expected him to do that, the second I cut myself I had expected him to just let me sit there and bleed on the floor.  
He held out his hand and I slowly put mine into his. I got to my feet and he led me over to a red velvet sofa. I sat down slowly and he went back to sit on his bench. He went back to work instantly as if nothing had even happened. Everything that happened within those last fifteen minutes was a complete shock to me. He blew on my cut to stop the burning, as a father would do for his infant child. I laid down on the couch and closed by eyes, not knowing what would happen next.  
I awoke on the couch, not knowing how long I had been asleep for. I turned and looked at him to find him still working on his score. Never had I seen someone so dedicated to their work. He never even played a note, it was as if he new every note by heart and new exactly how it would sound. I cleared my throat and leaned back on the couch.

"Monsieur?" I asked him.

"Yes?" he asked, without ever turning to look at me.

"How long was I asleep?"

"All night."

"I've been here all night?"

"Yes."

I sighed and sat back against the couch.

"What is your name?" I asked him without thinking.

He stopped what he was doing immediately and seemed to completely freeze. He slowly turned to look at me.

"Excuse me?"

"Your name," I continued. "What is it?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and shook his head.

"That, I intend to take with me to the grave." he said, looking back down at his work.

"We haven't been properly introduced." I said.

"What's the point in that?" he asked.

"Well, I'm obviously going to be here for quite some time. I think its best that I know the man that I'm living with." I said, jokingly. He didn't laugh, nor did he show any other sign of amusement. My smile vanished.

"My name is the name my mother gave me the day I was born, therefore I do not intend on ever using it."

"Please monsieur, I just want to know your name. I doubt it will cause some great controversy. I would prefer not to have to call you 'phantom', for it sounds a bit childish to me."

"Why are you even speaking at all?"

"Because... because you're not at all like they described you."

He looked at me with wide eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just... you seem to have a softer side, a poetic side. That's not the way they described you, that's all."

He seemed to be either upset or moved by what I said because it almost looked as if he would cry. But then he looked back down at his work. I sighed and turned my back to him.

"Erik..." I heard him say. I turned to face him.

"What?"

"My... my name is Erik."

I smiled lightly.

"I always liked that name." I said to him with a light smile. "Thank you for saving me last night Erik."

He paused for a moment and looked at me. I could tell that by using his name I had hit some kind of emotional barrier, it was a wall that must me knocked down.

"What is your name?" he asked in return.

"Amelia."

"Is there a last name or am I to assume you were born without one?"

I hesitated. I knew that if he knew my last name that I would be done for. If he knew I was related to Raoul then he would surely kill me. But he told me his name, and it seemed like that took a lot of his strength to do.

"Amelia… De Chagney…" I finally said.

He paused for a moment and looked at me in a look I couldn't explain. It looked like a combination of fear, anger, and hurt all in one.  
He stood up from his bench and walked into the other room. I sat there alone in the lair, staring ahead. To my surprise, the only emotion I felt at that moment was sympathy, and not for myself. Not for Raoul, Christine, or anyone one else, but for poor, lonely Erik.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Erik?" I asked, entering the room he had left to. I had contemplated going after him for at least fifteen minutes before finally deciding to.  
I walked through the passage into the dimly lit room. I found him sitting on a large bed, staring into a mirror. He had tears streaming down his face but did not seem to be crying. He did not move nor make and sounds, only the tears came falling.

"Erik?" I said again.

"It's as if you've all come to haunt me, eternally haunt me till death."

"I'm sorry."

"Well of course you are. You're sorry for upsetting the monster in the deep dark cave. You're only saying that you're sorry so I'll bring you back up in light out of this darkness that I've lived in my whole life."

"It's not my fault Erik; I never did anything to you."

"That wretched cousin of yours was the monster…" he said. I gasped. "Not on the outside of course, he was pleasing with every physical feature he had, but not on the inside where his soul rotted and his black heart beat. I was foolish to ever expect her to stay with me, to believe she would ever care for me or look upon me in love."

"Raoul loved her too…"

"Raoul loved her beauty, he loved her voice! He loved the fact that those to features of her alone would please the people around him even more then it had already!"

"Why are you acting as if the world had come crashing down at your feet?"

"Because it has! Christine didn't love me; my own mother was revolted by me! I've been stuck down here in hell for years but it seems like an eternity."

I stared at him with sad eyes.

"You-you still love her… don't you?"

He sighed and shook his head.

"No, but just thinking about how stupid I was sickens me. Just thinking about how I worshiped her only to have her spit in my face makes me want to end my wretched life right now."

"No Erik, please no."

"Why should you get an opinion? You've known me for a mere two days, and you're already acting as if you need to be my rescuer. Have you ever tried to rescue a monster Amelia? We're incredibly hard to stand."

"You're not a monster."

"How would you know?"

"Because monsters can't write beautiful music, they can't love a woman with all of their heart," I paused for a moment and took in a breath. "And they can't win me over as easily as you have…"

He stared at me in confusion. I walked over to the bed where he was sitting and I sat beside him. I looked deep into his eyes, which were a beautiful dark green color. They weren't fierce or threatening like you would expect, but they were soft and filled with passion.

"I've never trusted anyone with my heart, no man has ever loved me and I have never loved a man. But if there is one thing I've learned, it's not to judge someone by their physical appearance, but by the size of their heart."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said, standing up. "You've never even seen me…"

I'm not sure what happened at that moment, not sure what went through my mind, but I stood and ripped his mask off of his face. He cried out in alarm and covered his face with his hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked me in alarm.

He sunk to the bed and sat on it with his head in his hands. I sat beside him.

"Please don't Erik…" I said. I held his face in my hands and pushed aside one to reveal what he had to hide.  
The entire right side of his face was practically gone. Deep red scars ran down his cheek and forehead, his nose was misshapen and his eye seemed to be pulled down further then his other one.  
I moved my hand across his scars and kissed his forehead, then without thinking pressed my lips to his. I kissed him long and deep, never wanting to let go of him. When I pulled back to look in his eyes he had tears in them. He looked at me as if I had taken away his deformity rather than just looked past it. I kissed him again and felt myself begin to tear up as well. He kissed me back this time, his hands touching my face. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him closer to me. I kissed his forehead and then trailed kisses all along the scarred side of his face. I looked back at him; he still had tears in his eyes. He shut them and opened them again, leaving tears scattered across his long eyelashes.  
I pulled open his shirt and pulled it down his shoulders and all of the way off. He had naturally tan skin and broad shoulders. He was muscular and strong, absolutely perfect. I ran my hands down his chest to his abdomen and leaned in to place a kiss on his lips. He pulled my shirt up and over my head and dropped it beside his. I covered myself with my arms, feeling self conscious. He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed me.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered in my ear as he took me in his arms. I lightly smiled to myself and slowly dropped my arms. I wrapped them around this neck and held him close to me.

"So are you." I told him, he looked at me and I smiled at him lightly.  
As we removed the rest of each other's clothing, I felt my heart beating inside of me. I could hear it beating so loudly it seemed like it was inside my head. I lay back on the bed and pulled him on top of me. He looked down into my eyes.

"I-I've never…" I put a finger to his lips.

"Neither have I Erik." I said, putting my hand on his cheek. He kissed the inside of my hand and then leaned in to kiss my lips. I took in a deep breath and let him inside of me. We both gasped and held each other tighter. After a moment, once we were used to the situation, he began to move inside of me in a steady rhythm. I wrapped my legs around his waist and hugged him tight. I released a moan as he placed a kiss in the middle of my chest. He looked into my eyes and continued to push himself further inside of me.  
It all seemed to come naturally to us. We had no idea what we were doing and yet we knew exactly what to do. It made no sense to me, this was the man who tried to kill my cousin and best friend, steal his wife, and burned down almost half of the opera house and yet I wanted nothing more then to stay there with him forever, in his arms.  
Afterwards, I lay in his arms beneath the thick sheets of the bed. I fell asleep, feeling the most comfortable I had ever felt. He held me tight as I slept, my head rested against his chest. When I woke up later, I was alone. I sat up, pulling the sheets up to cover my chest.

"Erik?" I asked. I stood up and walked out of the room, taking the sheets with me.  
I found him sitting at his bench, wearing his pants and a white shirt only. His hair was long and hung naturally over his face a bit. I smiled to myself and then went back into the room. I sat down on the bed and sighed.  
Erik turned around the corner into the room. I lightly smiled at him. He walked over to me and sat next to me on the bed. He looked at me with eyes filled with such love and yet such sadness.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"I…I'm just waiting for the moment that I wake up and find out that this is all a dream. I'm dreading the moment I find out that I never actually held you in my arms."

"It's not a dream Erik," I said, touching his cheek. "I'm here."

I leaned in and kissed him, deeply and passionately. I didn't care about his face; he was too beautiful in every other way for it to have any affect on me. We fell back onto the bed and he slowly pulled the sheets off of me. He trailed soft kisses all the way down my neck, torso, and then back up. He looked into my eyes and held my gaze.

"I……. I love you." He said.

"I love you too," I said, smiling. He kissed me on the forehead.

"But this won't work…"

I looked at him in shock and sat up. He looked down at his lap and let the tears roll off of his cheeks.

"Don't cry…" I said, and then felt my own eyes well up. I felt hot tears stream down my face. He was right, it would never work out. With everything that had happened in his past, with Raoul, none of it would work.  
But I already knew that I couldn't live without this man. It wasn't love at first site, he wasn't my soul mate; it was just love. I knew it was and I wasn't going to let it slip away.  
He looked at me and saw me sobbing. He put a hand to my face and turned my head toward him. I looked deep into his eyes and saw that he had stopped crying. He looked worried though, scared almost.

"No, you don't cry. You're so strong Amelia, so much stronger than me. Please don't cry… don't let me sadden you like this."

I looked at him as if he must be joking. Was he telling me to give him up? I couldn't ever! Never could I give up someone like Erik, there was no one else like him in the world. I had never been any further away from my home then I was then but I still knew I would never find anyone that I loved as much as Erik.

"I'll make it work." I said to him.

"Amelia…"

"No Erik, I will! I can, I swear! I won't leave you Erik, never!" I began to cry again. I cradled my head in my hands and felt him take me in his arms. He held me tight and I snuggled into his chest. "Please don't make me give you up Erik, I'll die if you do, I swear I will."

"Shhhhhh…" he ran his hand up and down my back slowly. The feeling of him holding me was enough to make my crying come to a slow stop.

"Erik…"

"Yes?"

"Don't let go of me."

"Never."

I kissed him and he kissed me back.

"Love me." I said, under my breath. I was desperate for him, his touch, everything about him.

He picked me up and carried me off of the floor to the bed. He took off his shirt and pants and lay on top of me. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, his face gently encircled by the soft candle light.  
He held my hands in his, on each side of my head. His fingers laced with mine. If possible, it was even more amazing than the first time. He went slowly at first, letting me get used to it, then sped up. By the time he stopped, both our bodies glistened with a thin sheen of sweat, the two of us gasping for breath.  
He took my hand and lifted me up, as he rolled into a sitting position, taking me with him. I sat on his lap facing him, one leg on each side of his body. I took his face in my hands and kissed him, even though we were both still trying to catch our breath. I touched my forehead to his and we both closed our eyes. We stayed like that, holding each other in one another's arms, for longer then I can remember.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I had been there for over three days. Erik and I made love excessively, as if it was the only thing we knew how to do. It wasn't so much a case of physical pleasure more then a case of undeniable love. Most of it only resulted in us holding each other very closely.  
I was so happy to have given myself up to him. There was no other man on earth I could have done that with. Erik was mine; he was my only love and my only concern.  
On the third morning, I awoke to the sound of someone calling Erik's name.

"Erik?" someone called out. "Erik?"

Erik and I had been asleep in bed. He shot up with a look of worry on his face. He quickly put on his trousers and shirt and ran out into the lair, motioning for me to stay there. I sat in the bed, not making any sounds. I got up and slowly walked to the exit of the room, peeking out to see who was there. I gasped when I saw Madame Giry. Erik helped her out of the boat. She smiled at him.

"Erik," she said curiously. "You aren't wearing your mask."

A look of alarm spread across his face and he covered his face with his hand.

"I-I'm so sorry." He said. She shook her head and moved his hand from his face.

"No, I don't mind. I'm actually quite happy to see you without that wretched thing on, it must feel much better."

Her smile vanished.

"What's wrong?" Erik asked.

"Erik," she said, taking his hands. "The Vicompt's cousin has come to study ballet here, he sent her here to train with me and—"

"No, I know already."

"You do?"

"Yes, I've known about Amelia for days."

"Oh, well that's not what the problem is. She's missing; she's been missing for days. We haven't informed Raoul yet but when he finds out we'll be done for."

Erik frowned and sighed.

"I….. I know where she is."

A looked of alarm came over Madame Giry's face, she almost looked frightened.

"W-what do you mean? Where is she?"

Erik looked toward the door and motioned for me to come forward. I hesitated at first, but then came out. I was embarrassed, standing there in one of Erik's shirts. The cool air in the lair went up my bear legs and I shivered a bit.  
Madame Giry's face went white. She looked at Erik, then to me, and then back to Erik.

"What's going on Erik?"

"I… I'm in love with her." He said, shaking his head.

She dropped her jaw and looked at him with wide eyes. Erik turned to look at me and smiled.

"This is nothing like it was with Christine." He said quietly.

Madame Giry closed her mouth slowly and looked at me with fierce eyes. Suddenly, she walked up to me, grabbed me by the arm and took me down to the lake. She pushed me towards the boat.

"Get in.' she said firmly. I quickly moved over to Erik into his arms. He held me tight, as if he refused to let me go. Madame Giry began to tear up; the tears began to stream down her face.

"Erik, you can't keep her here!" she said.

Erik looked at her in awe, but then slowly released me. I still held on to him. He pushed me out a little and looked me in the eyes.

"Goodbye," he said sadly. "Until tonight."

I hesitated but then let him go. I got into the boat and let Madame row the boat away. I looked back at him as he watched the boat drift away; I blew him a kiss and mouthed the words 'I love you.'


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"How could you?" she shouted at me. "How could you? Have you no heart?"

"Madame, I—"

"No! Don't speak! Do you have any idea what you have done? You've killed him! He'll die when he realizes you can't be together, it will kill him!"  
"But I love him!"

"You can't do this! It won't work! He tried to kill you're cousin and kidnap his wife! Has any of this gone through your mind?"

"I don't care! I don't care one bit about what Raoul thinks!"

"Stop being so selfish! You may not care now, but when Raoul has Erik staring down the barrel of a pistol you just might!"

I gasped at the words that slipped from her mouth. How could she say such a thing?  
She was right… if Raoul or anyone else ever found out they would kill him and it would be my fault. They would show no mercy and there would be nothing I could do. I sat down on the bed next to me and felt tears stream down my face.

"No." I said to myself. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Madame Giry sat next to me and put her hand on my back. She hushed me and sighed.

"I wish I would have been more prepared for this." She said.

I looked up at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"W-well… I never thought anyone would ever really fall in love with Erik. We live in such a superficial world…"

"But I have Madame; I have to be with him. I'll die if I can't."

She sighed and nodded as she ran her hand up and down my back.

"Okay," she said. "I'll help you."

I looked up at her slowly, lifting my head from my hands. I wiped the tears from my eyes and swallowed hard.

"You will? Really?" I asked, still not quite believing what I was hearing. She nodded. I smiled at her and threw my arms around her in a hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

That night, Madame Giry told Firmin and Andre that I would be staying with a friend that lived nearby for about a week. When they asked why, I told them that I had to catch up with my 'friend' because I hadn't seen her in quite sometime. They believed the whole thing.  
Madame Giry took me to one of the dressing rooms later that night. She went over to the large full length mirror and took a hold of its side. She pulled it over until it opened an opening in the wall, a door.

"Erik?" she said. "Erik?"

That's when I saw Erik walk out from behind the mirror. He looked so amazing. His hair was combed back nicely out of his face and he wore his normal black trousers, a long sleeved red dress shirt, and a black vest. He looked at me and I smiled. I ran into his arms and held him tight.  
Madame Giry looked away, a hurt look on her face. I could see a tear roll down her face as she walked away.

"Stop." Erik said to her.

She turned around and looked at him. He walked over to her and took her in his arms, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you." He said. "You're truly my hero."

He walked back to me and took my hand, leading me through the door way into the darkness and I watched the thin strip of light that came from the room disappear as Madame Giry closed the door behind us.  
I awoke hours later in Erik's bed. I was alone, buried in the red, silk, sheets. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It had been another amazing night, but it seemed to me that this wasn't the right thing to be doing. I wanted to be able to take him out of this place, to let him walk through the busy city streets of Paris without anyone trying to hurt him, without people pointing and laughing at him as if he were a side-show attraction.  
I walked out of the room, once again taking the sheets with me. I felt so strange, not waking up in a nightdress like I always had, but instead waking up wearing nothing.  
Erik was sitting at his organ bench, once again. This time he wasn't working on anything though. He just sat there, one leg crossed over the other, staring at his organ. I came up behind him and sat a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked at me, a light smile formed across his face. I sat down on his lap and kissed his lips. I felt him wrap his arms around my back and he held me tight. I held his head against my chest and sighed deeply. I pulled back and looked into his eyes. He looked so happy and so sad at the same time.

"What?" I asked him.

"I love you." He said.

I smiled at him and kissed is forehead.

"I love you too."

He kissed me back and I felt him move his hands beneath the sheets and up my back. The imprint of all ten of his fingers against my bare skin sent a chill down my spine. I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of him. A smile spread across my face as he let the sheet fall to the floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tighter against him and kissed me deeply. I kissed him back, my hands clutching the back of his neck.

"Erik?" I asked him, quietly.

"Yes?"

"Did… did you really kill those men?"

He looked at me, shocked and awkward. I knew that that was quite possibly the worst moment for me to ask him that, but I didn't want to put it off any longer. He slowly pushed me off of him and stood up. I kneeled down and gathered the sheets, wrapping them around my body. He walked about ten feet away and stopped.

"I… I'm sorry." I said to him, sitting down on the bench. "But if you love me like you say you do then I deserve to know why you did what you did."

He turned around and looked at me. He looked so angry at that point that it was almost scary. I looked down at my lap, my hands folded on top. I didn't like how unpredictable he was, it was a side of him he hadn't yet shown.

"If you love me at all you'll accept that what's done is done and there's no reason to get back into it!"

"Why can't you just tell me, I won't care if you killed them!"

"Because I didn't kill anyone!"

I bit my lip and turned away from him. Why did I have to say anything? Everything was perfect, everything was beautiful, and I ruined the moment completely. I stood up and walked over to him. I put a hand on his face and turned it to look at me.

"I'm not trying to upset you; I just want to know you. No matter how bad or good or amazing anything you've ever done is, I'll still love you no matter what."

"I just want to forget it all happened."

"I know." I said, hugging him. "I understand that, but if we can't talk to each other then we're going to have an even more difficult time then before."

He looked into my eyes and sighed. He closed them and opened them slowly, releasing tears that rolled down his cheeks.

"There's too much evidence against me for anyone to believe me."

"What do you mean?"

"When Joseph Bouquet was hung, I had been planning on watching the gala in box 5 the whole time. I watched Christine playing the part I had told them to cast Carlotta for, but they did not listen, and then noticed Raoul in my box. So I left, went up the highest row I could and yelled down at them "Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty?" everyone got very flustered so I left and went up to the roof. I looked up at the sky and asked god why he had made me the way I was. I was in such pain and anger that I almost didn't notice Raoul and Christine come running out onto the balcony. I ran behind one of the statues and hid out of site. I listened to everything they were saying, and that's when I found out that I was being accused of killing Joseph. That's when I knew if I had just been quiet no one would have suspected me immediately like that. I blame myself."

"Oh Erik… I'm so sorry."

"You believe me?"

I smiled at him and kissed him. "Of course I believe you. I love you."

He lifted my chin with a finger and kissed my lips. He looked deep into my eyes and smiled lightly.

"You're the only person on earth that I don't feel like I have to impress. I don't have to be nervous or scared when I'm with you."

I smiled at him and held his hand in mine. He kissed me again and I leaned into his chest. I closed my eyes and let him hold me close to him.

"You're the only person I've ever been close to. I love you so much."

"I love you too Erik, more than anything."

I looked up and kissed his cheek, his scarred cheek. I ran a hand across it and kissed it again. I moved down and kissed his lips again, then his neck and his shoulders, then his lips again. He stopped and looked down at me, the most beautiful smile spread across his face. He kneeled down and sat on the ground.

"Erik?"

"Yes?"

"Never leave me."

"Never…" he said, as I kissed him and held him close.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The week came and went and the time came for me to go back. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I knew I'd see him again soon, but I just didn't want to leave him, ever.  
I could remember the night before, the most beautiful night of all.

"I feel like I don't deserve you." He had said.

I smiled at him and shook my head.

"I feel like I don't deserve you either. But I love you Erik, more than anything on this earth, and I will stay with you," I pulled his face down and kissed him, then looked back at him. "Until death do us part..."

He looked at me with such disbelief that I thought he would cry again, but he didn't. He smiled lightly at me and kissed my forehead.

Madame Giry had come to get me shortly after. She looked in panic, but somehow a happy sort of panic.

"Erik!" she called.

He walked up to her, taking me with him.

"What?"

"I have such wonderful news Erik, such absolutely wonderful news!"

"What?"

Madame just calmed her breathing down and looked at him with a smile.

"A man just turned himself in for all of the murders you were accused of! He told the police everything and even gave them a cape and a mask he had used as a disguise. Everyone knows you're innocent! The whole opera house is in tears with regret, Firmin and Andre feel like they drove you to your death!"

Erik looked as if he had just seen a ghost. He looked at me, then back to Madame Giry.

"I… I…"

"You're innocent Erik! Everybody knows it. The entire city of Paris knows it."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was so over come with joy that I jumped into his arms and he hugged me tighter then he ever had before. He spun me around in circles and the two of us laughed.

"This is amazing!" I said.

I looked at Madame Giry and she smiled at me. But my smile vanished.

"Well, then wait. What's going to happen?" I asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is can I bring him up now? Can he go outside? What's going to happen? Everyone thinks he's dead Madame, what would happen if I were to bring him up? If he has a chance to go up there freely then I want him to take that chance. He deserves to live a normal life."

She looked away for a moment, and thought to herself. Then she looked back at us.

"We can bring him up… but we need to do it properly, at tonight's banquet. Amelia, tonight you and I can make the announcement and Erik can make and entrance that none of them will ever forget."

I looked at Erik, and he looked back at me.

"Is that okay Erik?" I asked him. He smiled at me and shook his head.

"Anything you want..." I smiled back at him, kissed him, and then walked to Madame Giry.

"Tonight Erik, we will come at six o'clock. Be prepared."

Then the two of us rowed away and I was filled with the most joy I had ever felt in my life. Erik would finally be free of this awful lair, this awful prison.  
When I got back up to my dormitory, Meg was sitting on the bed. She looked at me in shock when I came in.

"You're back. Oh my goodness, have you heard?"

"Heard what?" I asked, trying to sound like I didn't know.

"Louis Cardiè turned himself in for the Phantom's murders! It's so unbelievable! I just can't believe that after all of this time, when we were so convinced that he had been murdering all those men… we were so quick to judge." She looked at me and shook her head. "It was only because of his face that we had found it so easy to accuse him. André and Firmin aren't even angry about the fire; they said that they drove him to insanity."

I smiled to myself. I was glad that they were in such emotional pain. To put Erik through what they had was completely criminal.

"Well, I guess everyone learned quite a lesson then."

"But you must still be filled with such hate."

I turned to her confused.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because of what happened to Raoul, he did threaten his life."

"I'm can't be angry about that anymore. It was a horrible thing, but it could have happened to any of the other men that fell for Christine… and I know now that Erik could never kill anyone, he let him go, his heart is in the right place and mine has forced me to let go."

She looked at me in confusion and wonder.

"That's wonderful Amelia. The fact that you're so forgiving is so rare."

I smiled at her and then walked over to my closet. I pulled out a yellow gown and began to dress for the banquet. Meg tied my corset. It felt strange to put on, I hadn't worn it in nearly two weeks. I looked at myself in the mirror, the dress was so beautiful, gold, yellow and white, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn in my life. Erik had given it to me; he had put it in my closet when I was asleep in the lair, and then come back down. He woke me up and then said he had given me a surprise for me in my room. I had been so amazed by his willingness to go up above that I pulled him down to me and made sweet love to him. I loved him so much, it was absolutely uncontrollable. Every time I saw him I just wanted to hold him close to me and have him hold me back.

"Oh my… Amelia! What a beautiful dress! Where on earth did you get this?"

"Oh, a very close friend gave it to me."

"Goodness, it's incredible. You'll make everyone else look absolutely dreadful if you wear this." She said smiling. "There will be many respectable men there tonight, maybe you'll meet someone. Oh my, maybe! What am I saying, you'll surely meet someone."

I smiled lightly at her and shook my head.

"I'm not interested in that tonight."

I then slipped into the dress and Meg tied up the back. I looked at myself in the full length mirror. I must admit, it was the best I had ever looked. I then allowed my hair to fall down over my shoulders in long waves and pulled some of it back in a golden clip. Meg put on a pink dress that was also very beautiful, but I must say that I did have the upper hand with my wardrobe.  
Meg and I walked downstairs to the lobby, which was full of people. As Meg and I walked down the stairs, many men turned their heads and looked at us. Some of them smiled and talked to each other. I found Madame Giry and pulled her aside.

"Madame, when are we going to get Erik?"

"In a moment, we just need to wait for everyone to go into the banquet hall."

We stood there for a moment and Firmin and André let everyone into the banquet hall. The two of us hurried off up the stairs and into my dormitory. Madame Giry pulled the mirror aside and revealed Erik, standing there waiting. He looked absolutely amazing. He wore a black suit with a maroon vest underneath, the same outfit he wore the night I had first met him, his hair was slicked back nicely. He turned to face us and I saw that he was wearing his white mask. I hated the mask, I hated the fact that he felt he had to wear it. But I knew he wouldn't feel comfortable without it, and we had no idea what would happen that night.  
He dropped his jaw slightly when he saw me. He looked me up and down a bit and I smiled. I took his hands in mine and he smiled at me.

"You… you look so beautiful."

"Thank you," I said. Then I kissed him. "You look wonderful Erik."

Madame Giry smiled at the two of us.

"Come now, we must go."

"How are we going to do this Madame? We can't just waltz in."

"I'll take care of it."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Madame Giry went to the bottom of the stairs in the banquet hall. Everyone turned their attention to her, as usual.

"Everyone, everyone." Said Firmin. "Please give your attention to Madame Giry. She has told her that she has a very important announcement to make."

I walked down and stood beside her on the stair case. I felt myself shaking, I felt sick, I was so nervous.

"Thank you monsieur," she said. "Everyone, I have a very important announcement to make! As you all know, Luis Cardiè recently turned himself in for the murders of three different men in the opera house, murders that we accused the phantom of. Well, now that we all know that the phantom is innocent; there is something you all should know. First of all, the phantom is very much… alive."

Everyone gasped and began to talk to one another nervously, the buzzing conversation echoed through the hall.

"So please everyone, I trust that you will put the past well behind you so that we may allow him to join us tonight. He wants nothing more then to be treated as an equal, nothing more then respect and dignity, and I hope you will all be wise enough to give him that chance."

"Of course Madame," said André. "Please, allow him to come forward."

Madame Giry looked back and motioned for Erik to come forward. He soon appeared at the top of the stairs, his hands at his sides. Everyone in the hall gasped and stared up at him in astonished disbelief.

"I can't believe it…" Firmin whispered, under his breath.

Erik slowly made his way down the stairs and to the bottom. I held out my hand and took his, pulling him by my side. I looked out among the crowd, their faces white and their jaws dropped open. I thought to myself, "Oh no, this isn't good…"  
But then, Meg came out of the crowd. She walked up to the three of us and stood in front of Erik. She looked at him for a moment, then, to my surprise, smiled at him.

"Bonjour monsieur," she said, holding her hand out to him. He looked down at it, and then hesitantly took it in his. She shook his hand and greeted him warmly, then looked at me.

"So that's where you were all week." She said.

"Yes," I said, nodding. "That's where I was all week."

She smiled again and looked back at Erik.

"Have a good night." She said, then turned and walked back into the crowd. The music started to play again and people began to talk amongst themselves. Firmin and André came rushing over to us. I could read the look on their faces; they were scared to death.

"Monsieur, monsieur! How kind of you to come!" Firmin exclaimed nervously.

"Yes sir, of course," Andre muttered nervously. "You must be so relieved to, um, well, finally be out."

"Out of the cage you imprisoned me in? Yes, I am."

"Well, I suppose we deserved that quite a bit. Anyway, we have a business proposition for you."

"Do you?"

"Yes, we would like to share management with you monsieur… uh…"

"Erik." I said. They looked at me, then down at my arm, which was linked with his.

"Are… are you two…"

"Yes." I said, cutting him off. I didn't want him going into further detail.

"Alright then, Erik, come with us so that we may discuss this."

Erik looked at me, as If I was supposed to make his decision for him. I smiled at him and nodded, then kissed him.

"Go on." I said. "I'll have plenty to keep me occupied."

He smiled lightly at me and then walked off with the two of them. They got him champagne and they began a long discussion. People began walking up to him, asking him questions, and even getting some smiles out of him. I was so amazed at the sudden transformation that the people of France had suddenly experienced.  
I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Meg and some of the other chorus girls standing around me with hopeful smiles.

"Is it true?" one of them asked me.

"What?"

"That you and the phantom are in love?"

"That you have been down in his lair for a whole week?"

"That you've seen him without his mask?"

I smiled at their wonder and amusement with my fairy tale love story.

"Yes, yes, and yes. Those are all true."

"Really?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but he just doesn't really seem like the kind of person who could… fall in love…"

"Well, maybe that's because no one ever gave him a chance before."

"Well," said Meg. "Have you two…"

"What?" I asked curiously.

Meg made a face and the other girls laughed. That's when it hit me that they were referring to mine and Erik's sex life. I blushed and laughed a bit. They all started to giggle and squeal.

"What was it like?" one of them asked.

I paused for a moment and smiled lightly.

"Absolutely amazing..." I said. "Excuse me."

I smiled and walked off, leaving them to their girlish banter, I walked up to Erik and he smiled at me.

"What are you gentlemen talking about?"

"Erik just decided to join us in management." Firmin said, lifting his glass.

I smiled at him and then at Erik. He looked so happy to be free, to feel equal; I was so overcome with joy.

"You're cousin should be so pleased to see that we finally got that extra help." Said André. Firmin nudged him with his elbow, to get him to stop talking. The smiles on Erik's and my face faded. I cleared my throat uncomfortably and then gave them a weak smile.

"Well, gentlemen, thank you for a lovely night but Erik and I have some private matters to attend to."

They nodded, and the two of us walked up the stairs and into the hall. I stopped him and looked into his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. I just wasn't entirely prepared for all of this."

I smiled at him. I loved it when he showed his more sensitive side. He almost seemed like a young child at times, but he wasn't. He was a man, a handsome, strong, loving man and I loved him for it. I took him by the hand and led him to my dormitory.  
I closed the door behind us and kissed him deeply and passionately. I pushed him back and he fell onto my bed. I turned around and let him untie my dress and corset. I removed his clothing as well and then sat on his lap while he still sat on the edge of the bed. I looked deeply into his eyes and he held me close to him. I smiled at him and laughed.

"We need to find another hobby." I said. He smiled at me and we laughed together. I think that was the first time I ever really heard him laugh. His laugh was deep and warm, really very beautiful. I was so in love with him and I think it truly happened that night. We simply sat there in each others arms; he traced kisses across my shoulders, neck and chest. He kissed my lips, cheeks, forehead and eyes. No one had ever kissed my eyes before, but it was the perfect thing, and it brought tears to my eyes. They rolled down my cheek and onto his.

"What's wrong?"

"I love you so much Erik, I'm just so happy that you finally feel wanted and accepted."

He touched a hand to my cheek and smiled at me, brushing the tears from my face.

"I felt that way as soon as I met you…" he said. I smiled at him and kissed his forehead.

That night, we just lay in the bed of my dormitory for hours. I lay in his arms while we both were beneath the sheets. I looked at him at one point and kissed him on the cheek. I rose up about five inches between our faces and kissed his lips.

"Erik?" I said.

"Yes?"

"Will you… sing for me?"

He paused for a moment and then rolled over. He was now on top of me, looking deeply into my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him slip his under my back. He rested his head on my chest and I held his head there, running my fingers through his hair. He began to sing to me the most beautiful song I had ever heard. His voice was indescribable. There were no words left in my body when he started to sing. I felt like he had complete control over me, his voice wrapping around me like chains. When he was finished I was absolutely blown away. He didn't look up at me, but just hugged me tighter. I ran my hands from his head down his back and kissed the top of his head.

"Make love to me Erik."

He did as I asked, but this time it was different. It felt so free. There were a million people near us behind that door, and we didn't even care. On his knees, he held my hips with his hands, running them down to my outer thighs. He pulled me closer to him, drawing himself deep inside of me. He reached back, wrapping my legs around his waist and holding my legs there. I balanced myself back on my elbows for a short period, and then he lifted me up so I met his eyes. I pushed him back slowly so that I was on top of him. I leaned over and kissed him softly as he wrapped his arms around my back. Then, I began to move slowly on top of him, hands placed on his firm chest. He grasped my hips, guiding me, and I soon felt the most incredible swarm of heat overcome my entire body.

"Oh god Erik…" I managed to release, exasperated. And then I released my own moans of ultimate release, leaning back slightly and gripping his legs behind me.

When we finished I fell asleep in the bed. I woke up later to find him no longer in the room, but Meg there in her bed instead, reading a book by candle light. She looked at me and smiled.

"Have a good rest?" she asked. I smiled at her and rubbed my eyes.

"Where is he?"

"Oh, he's down stairs at the party. The chorus girls aren't allowed to stay out at those things past nine o'clock, even though they go on until about one in the morning. He told me to let you sleep; he said you were very tired. I think I know why now."

I laughed and got out of the bed. Erik had put me into one of my nightgowns for me.

"So, I take it I won't be able to go get him."

She shook her head.

"Normally no, but I think they'll make an exception for you."

I smiled at her and then put on a dress. A simple dress that I could go out in and come back quick. I ran out the door and down the stairs into the hall. There were so many people there, but he wasn't hard to find. So many people were around him. I walked in and took his arm. He saw me and smiled.

"What are you doing?"

"I came to get you."

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was, but I woke up."

He smiled at me and excused himself from the group. We walked over to the stairs.

"You didn't have to leave me you know." I said jokingly.

He frowned at me and hung his head.

"I'm sorry. I… I don't want to hurt you."

"No, no, no, Erik. Don't worry; I was only fooling with you. I want you to mingle with the people."

He smiled at me and then kissed me.

"I'll be up in my room." I told him and then left.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

The next few of days went by splendidly. People were so open to Erik and kind. I was really amazed. The problem was that no one had been able to reach Raoul. He and Christine considered be home their honeymoon and refused to be bothered my any outside news.  
Then, about a week after the party, my life changed dramatically. I had been outside in the lobby, talking to André and Firmin about the recent Gala, when I heard the two front doors burst open.

"Amelia!" I heard someone call out.

I then turned around, and dropped my jaw, to see Raoul and Christine coming towards me.

"Raoul!" I said, then ran to him and hugged him tight. "Oh Raoul! I missed you!"

He laughed and hugged me back. Christine smiled lightly at me and then cleared her throat.

"Miss Daaè?" Firmin asked. "Oh my, you look ravishing!"

"Thank you monsieur." She said quietly.

"So, gentlemen, how is everything, I trust you have found another manager during my absence?"

The two of them swallowed hard and looked at each other in shock.

"You… you mean you don't know?"

"Know what?" he asked, still smiling.

"Well Raoul, a lot has changed since you've been gone." I said.

"Like what?" He asked, a confused and concerned look on his face.

That's when we all heard Erik's voice echo though the room.

"Amelia? I need to…" then he stopped. He stood at the top of the stairs, staring down in shock. Raoul and Christine stood frozen in fear. Raoul looked at all of us in anger.

"What the hell is going on here?" he asked me.

Erik then began to slowly descend the stairs until he got the bottom. He walked towards us and folded his hands behind his back.

"Monsieur De Chagney…" he said. "Good evening."

"Raoul," I said. "We tried everyway possible to get the news to you but we couldn't get a hold of you in anyway. I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? You're sorry? You're letting a murderer run my opera house!"

"He's not a murderer." Said Madame Giry. "He was proven innocent over a week ago."

Christine looked as if she just would fall to pieces, her eyes focused on Erik and never leaving.

"Raoul, there's something else I need to tell you." I said to him. He looked at me in such disappointment.

"Amelia, my sweet Amelia. What else could possibly be happening?"

"Please don't be angry Raoul…"

"Angry? Angry does not even begin to describe how I am feeling right now! You've all been brainwashed into believing he's some sort of a saint, but he's not! He's a monster! He's a hideous, evil monster and…"

That's when something inside of me snapped. I don't know where it came from, but I reached up and slapped Raoul across the face harder then I had ever hit anyone or anything in my life. He stumbled back and looked at me in utter shock, as did everyone else.

"Don't you ever, ever say anything like that about him again! I swear to god Raoul I will kill you if you ever say anything like that again, ever!"

Raoul covered his cheek with his hand, covering the large red welt on his face from my slap. I then, felt tears begin to run down my face, so I turned to Erik and grabbed his arm. I pulled him away out of that room and up the stairs out of site.  
In the hallway of the dormitories, I fell to the floor and began to cry. He knelt beside me and I hugged him close to me.

"Oh, Erik! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for what he said, I had no idea he could be so cruel!" I continued to cry and he held me tight. When I pulled away, he had a light smile on his face.

"Shhhhhh…" he said, holding my hand. "No one has ever done that for me. I didn't think it was possible to love you anymore then I did before, but I now know I was wrong."

I smiled and laughed at him within my crying and he kissed my forehead.

"I love you so much Erik." I said, holding his hands in mine. Then he pulled me up off of the ground. We heard something coming toward us and we turned to see Raoul. He pushed Erik aside, very hard.

"Stay the hell away from her!"

"Stop Raoul!" I yelled at him, blocking his way to Erik.

"Amelia! You don't know this man! You may think you do but you don't! You just don't!"

"Raoul just stop it!"

"I will not just sit back and watch you become a part of his plan!"

"I love him!"

Raoul stopped talking, his jaw dropped slightly. He looked at me, then to Erik, and back to me again.

"I love him Raoul…"

He looked at Erik in utter fury.

"What did you do?" Raoul asked Erik, almost looking like he could cry. "You bastard! What have you done? She's only a young girl and you stole her innocence!"

"I let him Raoul! It was my doing, not his! I wanted to do it, and I wanted to be with him, and I still do and always will! There is nothing you can say or do that will ever change that Raoul! I love him… If you love me as much as you say you do then you'll accept it!"

He looked at me as if I had slapped him in the face again.

"You're supposed to be my best friend Raoul. How can you abandon me when I need you the most?" Erik came from behind me and took my hand. He pulled me away down the hall into my dormitory and we left Raoul standing there in the Hall.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

"Raoul is like your brother." Meg said, calmingly. "He's just acting that way because he doesn't think anyone is good enough for you."

"You weren't there Meg." I said to her. "He's horrible! I never knew he could be so cruel! I didn't know anyone could!"

Erik sat rubbing my back as I cried into his shoulder. Meg looked at Erik and smiled lightly. She took his hand.

"Come with me Erik." She said to him. "We'll be right back Amelia." The two of them walked out into the hall and closed the door. I listened to then through the door.

"I'm so sorry about everything that happened today Erik." She said to him.

"It's quite alright Megan, it wasn't your fault."

"Yes, but Amelia is so hurt. Maybe you should go and talk to Raoul?"

"No."

"But I think if he knows you're really in love with her that maybe he'll listen."

There was a long pause before he said anything else.

"Alright, where is he?"


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Raoul sat in the guest room, in a large armchair staring into the fire. He had a look of anger on his face that could scare away the devil. Erik walked into the room and stood beside the chair.

"Monsieur?" he said to Raoul.

Raoul looked up and then shot up from his seat.

"What are you doing here?"

"I want to discuss what happened today."

"What is there to discuss?"

"I want you to know that I love your cousin more then anything I've ever loved in my life. I want you to know that I would never hurt her and you needn't worry about her when she is with me."

"Needn't worry? I needn't worry about my little cousin falling for a murderer."

Erik dropped his jaw but then closed it again.

"I didn't kill anyone Raoul. You're the only one who doesn't seem to understand that."

Raoul walked closer to him, getting really close to his face.

"You had a rope around my neck, didn't you?"

"This isn't about you Monsieur, and this isn't about me, this is about her. Yes, I had a rope around your neck, but if you recall, I never had the gall to proceed. I did everything in my power to scare Christine into my arms… nothing worked… and it wasn't worth it. I let you go because I couldn't stand seeing that woman in so much pain and I knew in that very moment nothing would ever bring us together. I've finally found the most important thing in my life, and what's different, is that it's mutual, and there's nothing you could ever do to change that…"

Erik then walked out of the room and back to the dormitory where Meg and I were sleeping. He took my shoulder and nudged it gently. I rolled over and opened my eyes. I smiled up at him weakly.

"Hello." I said to him. He smiled at me and motioned for the door with a simple movement of his head.

"Come with me."

He led me downstairs to the banquet hall. We walked out the middle of the hall and looked deeply into each others eyes. I smiled awkwardly at him.

"What's going on?" I asked him. He took both of my hands in his and brought them to his lips. He kissed them both and smiled at me.

"I love you so much Amelia." He said to me. I smiled at him and laughed a bit.

"I love you too Erik."

"I know that it won't be easily accepted by some people, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you and you only."

Then, he lowered himself down to one knee and held my left hand in his. He looked up at me with his beautiful green eyes. It was at that moment that I knew what he was doing. My heart stopped and I felt my throat dry out a bit.

"Amelia, will you be my wife? If you do I promise I will never stop loving you for the rest of my life. I will try my best to make you the happiest woman in the world."  
I smiled the biggest smile I could at him and started to cry a bit.

"Oh Erik… you already have." I said.

He then smiled at me and rose up fast, picking me up on the way. He lifted me up to meet his eyes and kissed me long a deep. I saw tears rolling down his cheeks just like mine.

"I love you Erik." I said, and a kissed him deeper than I ever had before.


End file.
